The Reliability and Validity of the Systemic Practice Scale

Competency-based training is thought to increase standards of therapist practice. The Systemic Practice Scale (SPS) has been developed to measure student competence in systemic therapy. Two studies were conducted to test the reliability and validity of this scale by using student data across three different UK training sites. Reliability was assessed by checking consistency in scoring across training sites and comparing data across year groups, with an expectation that competencies would improve over time. The factorial validity was assessed by examining the factor structure and internal consistency of the scale from data collected at one training site over seven years. The results of the studies indicate that the SPS holds construct validity, as student scores increased over time, and that the scale measures a single dominant construct. However, there was a difference in scoring across sites which linked to whether the SPS was used for assessment or feedback only.